Issues
Condoleezza Rice in the Maghreb: the underside of a round
In an interview to « El Khabar », Hasni Abidi, director of the Study and Research Center for the Arab and Mediterranean World (CERMAM) in Geneva, doesn’t rule out the possibility that the Secretary of State of the United States asks the Heads of states of the Maghreb to reopen their embassies in Iraq, like she did with their counterparts in the Middle East and the Gulf. By Jalal Bou Ati.
What are the significations of Condoleezza Rice’s round in the Maghreb?
The visit of the Secretary of State has an important signification. One should not forget that the American foreign policy does not change with the administration’s change: even if the Republican Party remains at the White House or leaves it in the benefit of the Democrats, it will not change anything. In other words, they are the two sides of the same coin... The American administration wants to take advantage of the big successes it accomplished in the Arab World and more precisely in Libya, which could be considered as the only case where Washington succeeded compared to the failures in Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea and even Africa. The Libya of Muammar Al-Kadhafi accepted all the American conditions and went even further by giving information on its armament program, which Washington couldn’t even dream of.
For Algeria, what does this visit mean at this precise moment?
Washington maintained a sort of stability in its relations with Algeria. I could even say good and regular relations, especially during the mandate of the president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, during which several visits occurred between the leaders of the two countries. In the field of security, the cooperation was revived in a remarkable manner that was translated by the opening of a branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Algeria. It is useful to mention that Condoleezza Rice’s visit to Algeria within the context of her round in the Maghreb is also a symbol of thanking towards the Algerian leaders and of a will to maintain good relations... This also applies on Tunisia and Morocco.
However, Washington failed in other cases and there aren’t successes only…
It’s true… Washington didn’t succeed neither in convincing Algeria to shelter or receive the headquarters of the unified military commandment in Africa “AFRICOM”, nor in preserving or creating a cooperation between the countries of the Arab Maghreb (Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and Algeria) and the NATO’s countries in a kind of partnership between the two parties.
Aren’t there other secret cases that Condoleezza Rice would try to exploit in the benefit of the Republicans for the forthcoming elections in November?
I think that Condoleezza Rice will try to convince the leaders of the Arab Maghreb to reopen their embassies in Iraq and to send there ambassadors and, without a doubt, this will be counted in favor of the Bush administration and the Republicans in the expected presidential elections in two months.
Where is the Western Sahara problem placed in this round, knowing that Washington’s position does not please Algeria?
Despite the fact that the United States accepted the Moroccan proposition on self-determination for dealing with the conflict with the Polisario, Washington does not want to fold all its cards with Algeria and will try to avoid some embarrassment. It will also attempt to use all its power in order to find a satisfying solution to all parties.
The visit has an economic aspect: as an observer, how do you perceive it?
Economics and Business are without a doubt strongly present in the negotiations between Condoleezza Rice and the leaders of the Arab Maghreb’s states as it was the case for the Middle East and the Gulf […]. We should not forget that when Condoleezza Rice will leave the Department of State, she will go back to her normal life as an American citizen… That is to say as a professor at the university and as a member of the governing body in an oil company that the Bush family owns in Texas. Keeping good relations with the leaders of the region is necessary, even indispensable… where the economic importance of this visit.
Translated by Loulia Kouchaji,
Research Assistant
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- Origin CERMAM
- http://www.cermam.org/en/logs/dossier/condoleezza_rice_in_the_maghre_1/
- Publié le 23 September 2008